Page 24

K ate couldn’t wait to share with Rory what she had learned about the writing desk.

But first she needed to find out if he would be willing to perform the musical score with her for the Harvest Festival.

How had Hazel talked her into that? She figured Malory had it right.

Hazel Bestwick in all her devious ambiguity made it impossible to tell her no.

Kate sat down to practice and was lost in the music when Rory slid onto the piano bench next to her and took up the other part.

In that moment, everything just clicked.

They played together until it was dark outside, and the wind kicked up, buffeting the window glass.

They had almost reached the end of the piece when Kate lost her clarity.

She fumbled. Reaching for the next note, she bumped hands with Rory and hit a wrong key. It spiraled apart from there.

With a long sigh, Kate let her fingers rest next to Rory’s.

“It was better,” he said. “Don’t get discouraged.”

“That last part is impossible. Our hands get tangled up together. There’s no way to play together in that last section.”

“One more time then, starting here.” They backed up and tried the ending again.

Kate let out a huff. “See, I can’t get to that note.”

They tried again, this time crisscrossing their hands.

Rory tilted his head. “Maybe we’re approaching this backwards. What if we change sides and start at the beginning? They got up and switched, with Kate moving to sit on Rory’s left. But they only got a few measures in before he shook his head.

“Let me think about it,” said Rory. “Surely, there’s a way.”

“Unless it was never played. Maybe it was written but not tested out.” Maybe the composer didn’t have a partner to play it with, Kate wondered to herself, but that was almost too sad a thought.

She pictured a lonely old composer all by himself, without his true love, lost in his music. Kate shook her head at her fancies.

“Then what about Ivy knowing the tune?” Rory waggled his eyebrows.

“Not that I believe in all Marjorie’s woo-woo nonsense about ancestral memory, but Ivy humming the tune before we discovered the musical score is strange.

I figure Ivy must have heard the tune somewhere to have hummed it before we found the score tucked away in the writing desk.

” Although, was ancestral memory any stranger than the past existing simultaneously with the present in the inn?

Or Malory gleaning information about an object by touching it?

How had she come to this point? When she sought to leave her former life of hard facts and problem solving, she had thought that owning an inn would be a perfect solution, because any problems to solve would have obvious answers.

Kate shook her head at her thoughts. Entrenched in mystical musings was not where she thought she’d wind up.

“So, you’re thinking that part of the score, at least, was performed and known?”

Rory’s question made sense, but Kate’s head was spinning. She needed to change the subject. “Hazel came by this afternoon. She asked me to perform the score at the Harvest Festival. But…”

“You need a partner.” Rory gave her an appraising look.

Kate shifted. Her voice came out hoarse, cracking a little. “Would you?”

Rory drew in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. Kate could see indecision flow over his face. “I’ll think about it,” he told her, and turned toward the front window. “Hey, I saw all the pumpkins on the walk. So I’m guessing you plan to hand out candy on Halloween.”

When he glanced back, Kate nodded.

“Do you have a costume?”

Kate tilted her head, wondering where he was going with this. “I’m only handing out candy. I hadn’t planned to dress up.”

“Ah, where’s the fun in that?”

Taken aback, Kate said, “Really, do you think I should be dressed up as something? Well, besides an innkeeper.”

“Hmm. That’s an idea, but what if you take it just a tiny bit further?”

“What are you thinking?”

Rory hopped up. “Let’s go to Community Projects.”

*

Not one for thrift stores, once she stepped inside Kate could not believe she hadn’t bothered to check out Community Projects before. It was…

“Overwhelming, isn’t it?”

Words having left her, Kate nodded at Rory and gazed awestruck at the sheer volume of product.

Copper pots and pans hung from hooks along the walls.

Shelf upon shelf sported beautiful crystal glassware arranged haphazardly, interspersed with all kinds of china plates, cups, and saucers, alongside Franciscan Vintage Apple dinnerware and one-of-a-kind hand-formed pottery.

Various items of furniture were arranged in groupings to entice would-be shoppers.

Sofas and coffee tables with floor lamps in every conceivable shape and design were all brought together with oriental rugs and embroidered throw pillows.

There were stacks of old records and antique books.

The thrift shop stocked antiques as much as it carried thrift items.

Racks of clothes sorted by type and color abounded.

Green dresses, black pants, and white shirts probably were a year-round display…

but the costumes. Kate knew her jaw dropped at the array.

Sure, there were the usual kids’ costumes of superheroes and plastic masks, but it was the full-size adult costumes that had Kate amazed.

Every conceivable costume overflowed from racks and shelves.

Some hung from the ceiling. And the quality of them was breathtaking.

“Fun, isn’t it?”

Kate ducked under a rack and peered around to find Marjorie Hopewell tucked behind a display of lace doilies arranged on top of a glass case with an antique register.

Inside the display case were every conceivable type of gloves in every possible size, material, and style, from hand-knit mittens to leather gauntlets to fingerless lace gloves.

“We are in need of Halloween costumes,” said Rory with a grin.

Marjorie beamed. “You, young sir, are in the proper place. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Rory tilted his head at Kate and appeared to ponder. Uncomfortable with his perusal, she shifted and was about to suggest a simple black witch’s hat for her and maybe a pirate hat for him, when he said, “Definitely colonial garb, something suitable for the inn.”

Kate blinked at the idea. That had not even occurred to her, and it was so much better for marketing the inn. Besides, she didn’t relish embracing the scary side of Halloween. That wasn’t her style. She didn’t enjoy creepy or frightening. She preferred safe and calm.

“Oh, I love it!” said Marjorie. “What a wonderful idea. I know just the thing. Follow me.” Marjorie took off winding through the store between rows and racks. Rory grabbed Kate’s hand to tug her along behind.

“So I’m guessing from all of these costumes that Hazard really goes all out for Halloween,” Kate said.

Rory barked a laugh. “Hazard goes all out for every holiday. Didn’t you notice on Independence Day?”

Kate shook her head. “I missed that one. I was painting the bedrooms and just caught the end of the fireworks, which I admit were quite impressive.”

Rory gave her a reproachful frown. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but next year you need to go to the craft fair on the green. You’ll love it. The craftsmanship is exceptional. But since you missed out on that, at least this year you’ll be ready for Halloween.”

“Here.” Marjorie halted a bit breathlessly when they neared the back wall of the store next to a door leading into a storage room.

Kate wondered if there was even anything left back there or if it was all displayed for customers to purchase.

It took a moment before Kate focused on what Marjorie was holding up.

When she did, she blinked at the two stunning gowns that appeared to be in Kate’s size.

“How did you…those are perfect!”

Marjorie smiled her gentle smile as Kate reached out to stroke the blue-and-white-striped skirt and fingered the lace dripping from the sleeves. It was so reminiscent of the gown worn by Prudence Worthy.

“Are they authentic?” asked Kate.

“They appear so, don’t they, but no, authentic gowns likely wouldn’t hold up through time.

Beautiful reproductions, aren’t they? A few years back we had a reenactment celebration, and these were left over.

They were originally purchased from a clothier in Williamsburg, Virginia.

They do such lovely work down there. I usually keep these costumes tucked away up at Hopewell Manor, but I brought them down just today since it was my turn to man the thrift store.

I thought I’d put them up for sale instead of keeping them tucked away.

Besides, I need to start clearing out all the non-period items for Hopewell Manor’s makeover.

Malory will be starting to get it ready for tours in the next few months.

What do you think? Would you like to try these on? ”

When Rory angled Kate and pointed out a dressing room, she took both gowns and practically skipped her way over to try them on.

First she selected the solid sage-green saving for last the replica of what she had witnessed Prudence Worthy wearing.

The green gown, while lovely, was a little tight in the sleeves.

As she felt a slight tug in the shoulders, Kate was concerned it might rip.

She didn’t want to damage it, so she swapped it out for the blue-and-white-striped gown.

Holding her breath as she slid it over her head, she let out a relieved sigh when it fell comfortably over her shoulders and down, the full skirt swirling about her legs. As she set about lacing it up, she knew it would be ideal.

When Marjorie called through the dressing room door to ask if she needed help with the laces, Kate let her in and together they made the dress fit her perfectly.

When she stepped out to show Rory, she couldn’t believe it: he was garbed as a colonial soldier with a tricorn hat. Shiny brass buttons ran down the coat, and Kate laughed at his very authentic-looking shoes as he stepped lively for her benefit.

He grinned. “Wait, you need a mobcap.” He plucked one from a hat rack and tossed it to her. Kate quickly wound her hair up in a loose bun to go underneath.

Marjorie clapped her hands.

“You two are stunning. Let me ring it all up for you.”

When Kate changed back into her modern jeans and tee, she felt a little sad. She couldn’t wait for Halloween night.